French Students Demand Better Schools as Protests, Fires Spread; Hundreds Detained
Hundreds of students have been arrested as protests spread across France. Students are angry about overcrowded classrooms, not enough teachers, and old school buildings. They have started fires and blocked entrances at many schools.
On Thursday, police reported around 340 protests outside high schools. More than 160 schools had to close. Some school principals were hurt or attacked during these blockades. Police have already arrested hundreds of students aged 15 to 18 at these high schools.
In Marseille, teachers were accidentally splashed with petrol. A student was trying to throw it into a rubbish bin at Victor Hugo high school. At Saint-Exupery high school in the same city, hundreds of young people surrounded a fire truck. They forced firefighters to leave, then set the truck on fire.
In Nantes, firefighters put out a fire at a high school entrance. Officials called it a violent gathering where staff were hurt. In Strasbourg, authorities stopped trams. This was to prevent rioters and protesters from moving around. Students also burned barriers on tram tracks there.
Raphael, a 17-year-old student, spoke about his frustrations. He said his classroom has 35 students. It is too hot in summer. He added there are not enough toilets and water leaks in some rooms. He also said the school building is falling apart and the cafeteria is too small.
University students have also joined the protests. They blocked access to about 30 university campuses, including in Paris and Marseille. Authorities said many people were hurt. Some injuries were from objects thrown. Others were from police crowd control tools.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said police are looking into claims that three students were hurt by officers. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting. He asked ministers to cancel their travel plans. This was so they could focus on the protests.
French Education Minister Edouard Geffray will meet with teachers, parents, and student groups on Friday. The protests have become part of the race to choose the next President in May. The government has accused the far-left France Unbowed party of encouraging the protests. Presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon said his party supports peaceful ways to protest. He criticized the government’s harsh response.
